Dear Grahame
There is another reason for growing a wheat crop the same as, or similar to, a wheat that has been grown before on OurField. We would get some indication of whether soil fertility has been enhanced by the cover cropping and other management of the past 12 months. Best Tony

While it is really tempting to want to go down the route of more adventurous, risky, adventurous - the 2017 Spelt crop has taught me how much I do not know about the decisions needed for success. I think we need some financial stability for the 2017 members in order to be able to consider a longer term plan. So I think a safer crop while we learn more is very sensible. I am also keen to learn more about the benefits of using the Conservation Agriculture system on Weston.

I joined this project to learn and support John Cherry to try something different. From what I’ve heard the modern varieties are the limitation; they are short, uncompetitive and have inadequate rooting, moreover they are genetically susceptible to disease above and below ground. So in response to the member of the group who is worried about jumping on the ‘next food trend’: If ‘heritage grains’ and Population wheats become a trend, welcome aboard.  Because they fit a regenerative farming system perfectly.  They are relics of a time when products from a can or bag weren’t available.  And if you we find ones that suit OurField, they can be more competitive against weeds, physically & genetically resilient to pathogens, and have a far higher capacity for associations with soil biology & nutrient scavenging ability.  So if we want to see what we have lost with modern wheats I’d suggest planting a population wheat alongside a modern wheat, give them the same treatment, and see what happens. I also put forward that we need to plan longer term for improving the soils health; sort a rotation, use compost, grow cover crops, obsess about organic matter and basically listen to the science, doing things when you should and not when you shouldn’t, being patient, being flexible, look at crop nutrition & immune systems, biostimulants, rooting etc. etc. etc. This doesn’t have to be more complicated an option, we can get hold of the seed we just need the momentum from the group.

I completely agree with you, Rosy: I was the foolish one who spoke imprudently of heritage grains as 'the next food trend' and I regret doing so. You will be happy to learn I am not a member of the OurField group.

If the growth in artisan bakeries across the UK is anything to go by, heritage wheat and an increased interest in moving away from high-input varieties are hopefully part of a longer-term trend.

what does "commercial" mean?

John thinks that if there was available seed for a heritage wheat population that he thought was suitable for Weston, and that he was sure could be sold into the usual commercial wheat market, then this could be an option still within the "Yes, Lets be Commercial" choice.

I feel a bit conflicted about the upcoming decision. I understand that money is running out for 2017 members and we need to replenish reserves, and we still have yet to get any clarity as to when or where the remainder of last years spelt will be sold.

I however worry that taking a commercial stance may well limit our choices and necessitate growing a crop that needs lots of spraying. I particularly worry about fungicides, which a commercial winter wheat crop may well need a lot of. I can imagine that the soil fungi population is likely to have suffered severely over the years through many commercial wheat plantings, and their associated fungicide applications, as well as from the regular tillage in years before Westons moved to no-till. I think it would be a pity to damage, what may be, a reestablishing fungi population - something thats vital to healthy soils but commonly very depleted in arable fields.

I think this is a really important point Darren; and I will track John down and hope he has time to answer your and Tony Allens' questions, before the vote deadline tomorrow night. Perhaps, yes, the word commercial is too loaded.@johnanthonyallan

It is unfortunate that the invitation to vote went out with head-line Let's Go Commercial.

One of the stupidest things I ever did was to vote to sow spelt in 2017. The outcome has taught us nothing except that producing it has left us with MANY still unresolved problems problems. Until we understand how to sell effectively beyond the farm gate we need to consider very carefully.
As WE DO NOY HAVE MARKETING CAPACITY we need to know what John Cherry can sell. He did grow a heritage wheat and some spelt this past season. But he has not shared how selling these grains has gone.
I am strongly with Darren that regaining soil health should be our main priority. The past twelve months devoted to cover cropping proves our commitment to improving soil health. Unfortunately we could not gain any notional income from mob grazing because it was not possible to manage the installation or operation of the equipment.
Improving soil health is a complex topic. Soil microbiology science is moving fast. There are affordable monitoring systems that have transformed what is is possible to know about soil fauna, soil micro systems and especially soil fungi and soil bacteria.
I have supported a pro bono soil survey of OurField which showed that there is much more to do to improve significantly the soil health of OurField.
Darren's point about a winter sown modern wheat being a risk to the improvement of soil health is important. I would like to hear from John Cherry and Richard (agronomist adviser to Weston Farm) which grain crop and cover crop rotation would produce a soil improving and MARKETABLE
outcome. In theory leaving the cover crop in place and planting a crop in the spring could be a logical approach.
The problem we are facing in making a decision reflects the fact that we have not been able to put in place a multi
-season rotation strategy informed by the potentail of mob-grazing. We are also facing the problem of not having a research capacity.
SOIL HEALTH AND WHY WE NEED TO PROMOTE IT.

I very strongly recommend that you look at the video on The Soil Carbon Sponge by Walter Jehne - an Australian soil microbiologist who also understand the atmospher and climate change. It is a long video - 2 hours - but it is life transforming. John Cherry somehow found the time to view it and is very impressed indeed. Hit https:youtube

Here is that video: If short of time, I strongly suggest you skip to minute 15 into the video, to avoid 15 minutes of pre-amble and mic testing.. Walter Jehne

Apologies - the message I just sent locked up as I was finalising it and I had not proof read it and there are some typos. I intended to show Richard Harding's full name.

Thanks Grahame. If you can reach John it would be much appreciated. Tony

I have ordered 4 tonnes of Wakelyn's Population wheat (subject to it passing the seed borne disease tests) for us to plant on the farm. I've also got half a tonne of einkorn to plant for AbiAspen who reckons she'll have a big market for the grain. We have a big pile of spelt also, which I'm hopeful we'll get a decent price for one day.
I say all this because the line between commercial and heritage is hazy, not fixed, it's hard to pin down. We're experimenting with population wheats because we think we'' be able to grow good grains cheaper than Crusoe and so make more money. Obviously the fact that we'll be using less pesticide (herbi- and fungi-) appeals from the soil health point of view as well.
On that, to answer @darren4 's point about the effect of fungicides on mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), it seems that most fungicides have limited effects on underground fungi. either because they are specifically designed to hit mildew or whatever on the leaf or because they are physically unable to get to the mycorrhizae. Some however do, we try to avoid these. There is some debate about the effect of glyphosate on these precious subterranean workers...we had an expert from Hertfordshire University round last week who wants to sample some fields for Glomus (a species of AMF), he looked startled when I asked him what effect glyphosate might have on them. He thought none, beyond the fact that we were taking living roots from the rhizosphere and thus they'd have nothing to pinch sugar from. The worst enemy of AMF is cultivated soil, which physically breaks the mycelia and dries them out.

Sorry, all a long way of saying being commercial can mean growing a heritage or population wheat. If you want to go down the population route, we should have some seed available on farm. This is as saleable as Crusoe and hopefully won't just go into the industrial food system! The problem with the spelt at the moment remains the dehulling, it appears that there aren't that many people who can do this. If it were dehulled we'd have no trouble selling it.

OK I am feeling very confused about what is commercial and what is not! And I do feel this vote if too black and white which is coming through in the comments.
If being commercial means we can still grow a heritage or population wheat, with the possibility of it growing without adding nitrogen and fungicides then I'm in!! I truly believe there will be potential to sell heritage grain and interesting that @johncherry even thinks that the modern population may well be more commercial to sell into the general grain market due to reduced inputs. From what I have learnt so far good farming is a mix of building beauty, ecology and profitability. I joined this project to iterate on all three together...so whilst I don't want to be driven purely by commercial gain, I definitely think this should be important to us. @grahamehunter I am going to vote non-commercial on the basis that I don't think our decision should be driven purely by commerical needs but I do also think that one of the learnings from last year was that we need to secure a market to sell into...and I think heritage grains has a huge potential to work in this way! I am reaching out to different places in London - new pizza places and cafes selling heritage grain products seem to open every week!

Thank you Abby for your comments. You capture the position very well indeed. I am finding the voting process awkward. It seems to bring outcomes for which we are unprepared in terms of farming practice and marketing. It is NOT an approach which I would adopt if the outcome of voting was to impact my personal health . Tony

Now we have voted for an experimental approach, the organising team are working on options to be put to a vote.

Wondering if anyone has any interesting ideas for something that we could plant soon?

I'm thinking - unusual crops, or stuff we could grown together, or any other interesting ideas?

Hi Darren, I have sort of lost touch with what the cover crop wad and how well it had grown....perhaps we should introduce animals to the field to eat the cover crop and then think about planting some fruit trees and bushes for next year leaving a good sized middle area for a winter crop....or try planting now for an early spring crop...

Hello Shena,

Grahame has suggested that the idea of growing trees isnt really within the scope of OurField. It would be very expensive to pay for the plants and planting, also require a fair bit of work to arrange. We would also have to wait a few years before we'd see any crops. If we grew any fruit theres the problem of who will do the picking, handling and plant care. Currently that would all appear well beyond our capacity to organise.

Weston farm has all the workers, equipment, facilities and expertise to grow, crop, handle and store - grain, oil seed and pulses

There are also cows on the farm, but presently OurField isnt set up for grazing. We'd need fencing and a water supply - which would take some funds. I'm not sure how suitable what we have in the field is for them to eat, I guess it probably would not bring us in much money. However it may be worth doing for a fertility gain, if @johncherry thinks they would like to eat it all and is able to arrange their visit. I've attached, what I think is the latest photo available of the field which was taken 18th July. I think because of the very dry weather there will not of been much growth since , and it may all be looking a bit more brown.

Thanks Darren and John for that update....I am beginning to understand a bit more about the possibilities. I really want The Field to be environmentally positive and sustainable. I hope to meet you both on 30th.

Thanks Darren. The cover has grown a bit since then, the odd maize and sunflower plant is sticking up. We are trying to get a fence up around the field, in between other jobs, and we're hoping to graze the cover down to make a bit of fertility and to make it easier to establish the next crop, whatever that might be...

Many thanks John for letting us know that you are fencing the field with a view to grazing the cover crop.
Is there any chance that you could let us know what experience you have gained from growing and marketing spelt and heritage grain in 2017-2018? Best Tony

Great news the cover crop is to be grazed.

I’ve been working hard to sort out the possibility (if we vote for it) of planting Millers Choice (MC). A heritage winter wheat population developed by Andy Forbes of Brockwell Bake. He’s given me the price of £500-600 a tonne. And suggested we’d need about 1.4-1.8 tonnes for 28 acres. Planting time is early October so if we were to go with this option we’d need to get on soon. A long description of its development I can send to anyone but in short, these long straw wheats were selected by Andy for milling qualities from a broader heritage winter wheat collection on the basis of ear morphology, favouring the long and lax ear type of the traditional English milling wheat "Red Lammas" landrace as opposed to square cross section compact type ears. This meant a selection of around 2 to 3% of the original population of John Letts, eliminating any Squarehead accessions. To this was then added around 20% Spanish origin heritage wheat for some drought proofing. It has taken 8 years to develop to the point where its of baking and milling quantity. There’s plenty of information on it on the Brockwell Bake website too.

I have used it at e5, we milled 8-9 tonnes of it recently and it was blended with other flours into our “Hackney Wild” which is our freshly stoneground “whitish” heritage sourdough loaf and it made a very good bread.

Obviously there are other factors we must decide on if we go down this route. The treatment of the field pre planting and any decisions throughout its growing period which may affect its marketability to a bakery with a mill such as e5. 28 acres is potentially allot of grain. Ben at e5 has expressed an interest in taking the grain, but it would be under certain conditions; quality at harvest, methods of farming being the two most important factors if it were to be made into bread. I assume if it doesn’t reach milling spec it usually goes into the market for animal feed? (or some other use i.e. in a distillery). Ben is already in the process of getting a delegation so a local organic farmer in Suffolk could grow Millers Choice, so the OurField site would be aswell as. They are using min till, are certified organic, and operate in a holistic way. I have a meeting set with him on Thursday to find out more.

John Cherry and Andy Forbes are now in touch, and John will buy-in whatever seed is available from him. Thanks for your work on this Rosy.

This may be a bit premature as we haven't yet agreed on the next step and whether we're planting an Autumn crop, but is there potential to create a heritage/population and spelt mix flour? The Hackney Wild is a blend so I was just wondering if an Our Field blend could be something more marketable? I guess we'd need to do some baking tests once we harvest the next crop (if there is one).
I know there are other options being explored to sell last year's spelt so if those are successful then we wouldn't need to explore this. And maybe a blend doesn't make sense for various reasons I probably haven't considered!

Hi all, just thinking about next year as I wonder if once this crop is in we need to think about it so we can have the long chat. Obviously a final decision will depend on what happens this year but with questions like markets and how to process the grain already raised as issues this year it may be mindful to think about those for next year to. So the reason I am saying all this is after reading in the latest Wwoofing newsletter that the Gaia foundation is interested in talking to farmers who may be thinking about growing heritage grains. I have no contacts in the foundation but am happy to find out more if it's of interest to everyone else?

I imagine it would be of interest. Can you contact them, as it looks too as if there is a possibility of a heritage grain population being planted? If you could get information before the 30th September meeting that could be helpful, too.

Hi Cliff here’s some so you can read about Wakelyns; here’s an interview with Kim the Baker of Small Food Bakery describing her experience of using YQ grown in an organic system. http://www.organicresearchcentre.com/?i=articles.php&art_id=973&go=Information%20and%20publications
and a description of what YQ is http://www.organicresearchcentre.com/?i=articles.php&art_id=783&go=Information%20and%20publications

Dear Rosy
Thank you warmly for your comment and especially for the information in the two urls. EVERYONE MUST READ THE FIRST URL --------
http://www.organicresearchcentre.com/?i=articles.php&art_id=973&go=Information%20and%20publications -------------
The information in this Q&A is very important. It draws attention to THE FOOD SYSTEM. We as consumers are part of the modern/commercial food system except where we have opted for organic food and access locally produced food.
Weston Farm has for the past four of more year been involved in a major commercial and agronomic experiment in the adoption of the CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE approach which involves no till and significantly reduced fertiliser and herbicides.
WE LEARNED FROM WHAT I RECOGNISE AS THE STUPID DECISION TO SOW SPELT IN 2017 - IN WHICH I WAS COMPLICIT - THAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE SUPPLY CHAIN EVEN MORE THAN THE PRODUCTION OF THE CROP. The url and the associated video make this point very effectively. In my view it is irresponsible to recommend that we grow a crop or devise a rotation without finding out how the approach fits in with the realities of the supply chain. The international food supply chain has EVOLVED TO PRODUCE UNDER PRICED FOOD FOR UNDER PAID PEOPLE. In this system farmers are forced into a weak position because farm gate prices do not reflect the full cost of production or the impacts on the ecosystems of water, atmosphere and biodiversity. If we want to exert useful pressure we need to understand teh food system!!!! Tony (Allan)

Thank you Grahame for facilitating the vote and for letting us know the result. Further discussion will be needed,

The meeting at the farm could provide an occasion for such discussion. However, at this stage the attendance is not substantial. - currently 13 members plus John, Grahame and Richard from the farm.
IF YOU INTEND TO BE AT THE FARM ON 30th SEPTEMBER PLEASE LET ME [email protected] and CHRISTINE christine._ [email protected] KNOW.
Also could you please look at the DRAFT AGENDA. If you have other topics please let me know. Best Tony (Allan)

Cliff I used to work at the Organic Research Centre and am more than happy to answer any questions about the Wakelyns wheat population at the meeting on the 30th.

To get back to you all about the meeting I had with Ben (owner of e5, and my boss) about the possibility of buying any of our future Millers Choice or YQ harvest from OurField. We buy cleaned grain direct from farmers to then stonemill fresh on site, our storage capacity isn’t huge but we take the grain in tonne bags and have the equipment to load the silo in the mill arch. He is really keen to support the OurField project but importantly, and this is something that I agree with, he wouldn’t take any grain that has been grown with the aid of glyphosate (even if it was only to help terminate the cover crop). I know this doesn’t fit into the proposal laid out in the vote description but wonder whether we could vote on that or discuss this further? I also echo what Steven mentioned about the risk of the taller Heritage Wheats lodging if the soil is too fertile so perhaps not mucking the field, maybe this isn't a risk we still haven't heard from Tony on the soil tests? thats just my thoughts. I know quite a few of us members would like to eat the crop but would have reservations if it were to be grown in the manner described in the vote description. Ben already has a few options of other farmers growing Millers Choice and YQ in a min-till Organic system but is keen to support the OurField project. He has provisionally said he could take a few tonnes (not the entire harvest) but not using any Fungicides/herbicides or pesticides would be a requirement of any future sale to e5. And therefore I suppose any future marketing of the OurField grain through e5. I hope that makes sense. To lead on from that I have some questions for John Cherry, does Weston Farms have a Seed cleaning setup so we could avoid costly haulage to another site, possible Storage and any ideas of how we could experiment with not using any Ag-Chem at all in a no-till system?

I agree with you.

Dear Rosy
Very many thanks for your very helpful message. This response is brief because people are busy.
1 As our 2017 crop was grown after terminating the cover crop with glyphosate. it cannot be a source for E5.
2 Weeds have been a problem for farmers for thousands of years. Weeds remain an elemental problem. The reason UK CA farmers make a pre-seeding glyphosate application is that in UK conditions, which are often moist, grain crops can be out-competed by weeds. In drier zones, such as those of southern Europe, the weeds can be dislodged by a low till system. The weeds die exposed to the sunshine. In the UK the conditions usually allow the weeds to re-establish.
3 UK CA farmers rage at the chemical farmers who apply glyphosate a number of times a season. Even just before harvest. This detail does not get into the debate which tends to be in terms of abolish v. unlimited use; rather than abolish v. minimal responsible use. Farmers have to juggle a dozen such shifting, often high risk,compromises. Insisting on black and white standards is for the frugal and the privileged and very complicated in our highly politicised food system where under priced food has to available for the under paid. The under paid depend on it. The debate is nevertheless immensely important.
4 On soil quality. I am hesitating about circulating the soil survey data as it is not drafted for the lay person. My interpretation is that the soil of OurField is not highly fertile. It will produce similar yields to other Weston Farm fields. The soil quality is improving but only in the top 10 cm.
5 The above is not authoritative agronomy or soil science.
6 It would be very good if John has time to respond to your questions on seed cleaning, glyphosate use, tillage and weeds. Your message will wonderfully focus the debate next Sunday. WE WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO HEAR IF ANYONE ELSE WILL BE COMING TO THE FARM NEXT SUNDAY. Thank you Rosy. Best Tony (Allan).

2018 Autumn sowing

At the meeting yesterday there were some missed messages about Glyphosate use. In particular I think we too need to be aware of Rosie's comment which may be a limiting factor.. She has written (referring to Ben at E5 who has visited Weston
He is really keen to support the OurField project but importantly, and this is something that I agree with, he wouldn’t take any grain that has been grown with the aid of glyphosate (even if it was only to help terminate the cover crop).

Nevertheless, and it may have been lost in history but OurField is linked to the farming system which is being developed at Weston; this is about building soil fertility and weed resistance through conservation agriculture - the main tenets of which are

• planned and intelligent rotations
• no tillage and minimum soil disturbance
• contined cover using cash crops, cover crops etc
• livestock grazing between crops when possible

Within this system in the early years glyphosate is the preferred method to terminate cover crops. John believes this is less damaging for the soil biology and more environmentally friendly than heavy and repeated cultivation which is the standard method of organic farmers to control weeds.
Furthermore, Richard Harding gave a clear opinion yesterday, which John has endorsed, that on the particular field we looked at we would probably get no crop or a crop so dirty with weeds it would be almost valueless if the weeds and thistles are not terminated shortly after the expensive seed is planted.

Ok I’m rewriting this after a week of night baking etc so bear with me!

I’m going to be terribly annoying here and just lay down my thoughts since Sunday’s farm visit. 

I feel very uneasy about the rushed voting out on the field. I do not want to waste this precious and expensive seed that Andy Forbes and Martin Wolfe (the Wakelyns YQ) have developed by planting it at the wrong time for this field and alongside farming decisions I’m not fully on board with. After seeing the field and having time to think about its implications I’m sorry to change my mind but I would not vote to plant a winter sown cereal on it this year, and as the sowing and spraying hasn’t actually happened yet I feel I should say it now before its too late! My vote would be, following discussion with the Agronomist Richard, that we put the OurField site in some kind of cover for a couple of years. Those thistles indicate poor soil and now I know that its only been no-till for 8 years and probably other reasons I don’t think the best farming decision would be to grow cereals now. Unfortunately we effectively voted to NOT have a buyer for at least some of the crop and a potential marketing plan that I’d lined up, therefore with this and now knowing more about the weed situation it impacts on what we do on the land. 

Thank you John Cherry for patiently explaining everything that you do at Weston I completely get that using a small application of glyphosate is necessary to economically grow no-till in this country at the moment and without allot of research and development of other methods (as hinted to by John Cherry and the Agronomist) that’s what will happen elsewhere at Weston. Yes its a million times better that heavy applications of glyphosate or regular deep ploughing, if more farms convert from heavy Ag-Chem use great but I was hoping we could seriously discuss alternatives to spraying on this collectively decided on field when I invested. Research shows Glyphosate and ammonium nitrate damage soil biotic relationships. I’m sorry I do not want to put my name to this vote it in its current form. Thinking ahead I’m struggling to think whether any “branding” exercise when we harvest could persuade consumers, especially in the craft bakery world, we are notoriously fussy about the grain (I think for good reason!). Of course I don’t want to plan to fail and try to produce a crop this coming year if its full of weed seeds, it will reduce the yield, and not help Millers Choice or YQ gain in reputation. Therefore I would want the field decision to focus on reducing the weed burden without the use of chemicals by trying to restore some natural cycles in that soil, a mixed herbal lay from what the Agronomist suggested could really help. Yes that doesn’t sound terribly exciting for OurField but maybe thats better for the soil! Financially it could still bring income if it was grazed at points too.

Talking to Andy yesterday yes he can get us the Millers Choice “unsorted” seed from John Pawsey (1.5 tonnes at £600 a tonne which will need treating with vinegar) but he thought it a pity we weren’t experimenting with ways to sow into the cover crop. Though he did say he is unaware of any UK no-till farm not using glysophate. I get the impression since seeing the thistle situation on the field this option has been discarded. 

 
On a side but very important note I’m unsure whether this group has really had time to work out its aims. The discussion part of the last meeting is really important for the group to go together into decisions it makes. Perhaps our unclear aims are indicated by the small percentage of voters. Is it for us members to learn Conservation Agriculture and go along with exactly that method no matter what? It has been really valuable to learn about CA. Do we need to prioritise a return on out investment within a timeframe? Obviously our decisions carry a certain amount of risk; weather and market. Is it for us to engage with farming decisions and possibly try something a bit experimental? Maybe we need to pay for professional advice early on to make sound decisions? Is producing a crop every year part of the projects success? When should we factor in years off? should we be planning several years ahead to truly make this sustainable? Shouldn’t there be a minimum percentage participation for a vote to go through?

Any thoughts welcome!

Rosy - thank you for putting these thoughts down and I am quite sure that others have similar thoughts. @johncherry @grahamehunter do we have options to delay and discuss this in more detail at the E5 meeting planned for Oct/ Nov. This is an important decision time.

Thanks for taking the time to write this Rosy. Here's my take on it:
As John said, the planting window for the wheat will shortly be closing, so I'd be concerned at the thought of delaying our decision even more. The use of glyphosate is inherently divisive and I can't see us coming to an agreement as a collective. It's an argument that's been raging for years in the agricultural sector -
I can see both sides of the argument, but the more I learn about soil health, the more strongly I feel that no-till with a low dose of glyphosate is infinitely better than ploughing (which is the only other way to get rid of a cover crop without chemicals). Each time you plough, you're killing soil organisms and exposing the organic matter to oxygen, so are losing the carbon stored in the soil. I really enjoy all the discussion, but we're never going to feel like we're properly informed - people spend 3-4 years at uni studying agriculture and still struggle with these questions!

I agree that it's a shame not to be able to sell to E5 - as what yourself, Ben and the others are doing as a business is amazing. Likewise, I totally get your frustration, given the effort you've put into it. However, I just don't see how we can grow a crop without using glyphosate - given the amount of thistles in the field.

That said, in the USA, farmers will grow rye or mustard as a cover crop, then roll it to kill it and then drill into the cover crop blanket, which helps to conserve soil moisture (however, I suspect they also spray it too). I'd be open to looking at any other non-chemical options (even seemingly far-fetched ones), despite the risk, to see if any of them are viable, but as far as I know I don't think we have much choice here.

Engagement in the decision-making process is a a real issue and I agree that it would be worthwhile to think about coming up with some clear guiding aims and principles that everyone is happy with, that could then be used to help guide our decisions.

I think its important that we make some clarifications and I’m going to attempt to make some here.

Finance
The Ourfield group invested money in this project. As an investor I would like to see some of my investment returned or have the possibility of a return on my investment.

Currently it appears as if the 2017 investment has been spent and little or no monies remain.

Commercial cropping
Commercial is not in itself a dirty word. To be able to buy seed and run any system of farm production costs money. Selling the resulting crop is a way to recoup that money.
Though the system, whichever farm system, is not without sometimes extreme challenges. Weather, market, weather.

Farming
There needs to be a system to food production, and whichever is practiced it needs to find balance whilst also maintaining its existence in a tumultuous climate, both meteorologically and economically.

Farming is about working with nature as best we can. But whatever we do we are interrupting the natural state. We alter the natural behaviour of plants and organisms.

I have long experience of farming, myself some decades ago and over the last ten or fifteen years working very closely with a great many farmers across the country. And I’ve spoken with some very experienced soil scientists and seed breeders. Repeatedly and over a long period of time.

Organic or not organic is not simply a case using of a set of tools and then looking at whether there are some signs of biotic activity in and on the soil.
I contest an argument put in this thread suggesting that Conservation Agriculture is the kinder system for the biota on the farm. It’s one approach. The Cherry family are very good exponents of their no-till approach but not all farms who say they are working to that same set of principles in fact are able to demonstrate the same level of attention to detail. They are not inspected to the same rigour as, for instance, organic and are not under the same level of scrutiny.

Research shows, as I have described to the OurField loomio group before, glyphosate and ammonium nitrate are not benign to the biota in the soil. Key biotic relationships are negatively affected.

All ploughing damages soil biotic relationships. All glyphosate and ammonium nitrate use do also damage soil biotic relationships.

It’s critical to ensure there is sufficient food and shelter for those organisms we wish to encourage.
That balance is key. It’s not easy. But whichever system, method, set of tools used the mitigation of any soil damage is best done by incorporating plant matter to give the necessary food and shelter to the bugs and beasties.

John and Paul are practicing what is clearly a successful system for them at Weston Farms. I would like to encourage more discussion around rotations and available markets so we can better understand how John's system works and where the crops usually go.

The artisan baking market is small and is very particular. Many will demand grain that has not been grown using certain inputs such as plant growth regulators, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides, ammonium nitrate.

There are other markets. When all this began I had thought that we would grow a crop, it would go to John's usual markets and then we would discuss what to do with any ‘profit’ and to, hopefully, reinvest to help develop the field in the Ourfield project.

A note on seed breeding -
Crop breeding today is focused on achieving high yields in high input farming systems.
These breeding programmes and their ambition really accelerated in the seventies. I’ve seen some very useful crosses and populations of so-called modern varieties perform well in low external input situations.

Current varieties cannot compete well with weeds. They have been bred to grow in a situation where weeds are killed by use of chemical inputs and where fertility in soils would normally be found through application of ammonium nitrate.

There are crops that would suit Weston Farms very well. They may not be ‘heritage’ but they might be those bred prior to the nineteen seventies.

But markets need to be determined before seed goes in the ground.

A note on food pricing
I believe that the dramatic reduction in food pricing has been accomplished through economic policies not agronomic policies. Generally food is artificially cheap. This keeps wages low and it has helped to drive farmers off the land. Statistics show that UK farms are increasing in size and the number of farmers in the uk is falling.

I believe this is bad news. For all of us.

At the moment discussions over planting decisions reflect the lack of an agreed long term strategy. An alternative interpretation is that the original strategy is now being challenged by a substantial part of the community. In any case, I agree with Rosy that if we spend more time reviewing and formulating a multi-year strategy, it will be easier to reach consensus on what and how to plant.

if we did not plant a grain crop..

I think many would agree with this sentiment (from Rosy Benson)
Of course I don’t want to plan to fail and try to produce a crop this coming year if its full of weed seeds.. I would want the field decision to focus on reducing the weed burden without the use of chemicals by trying to restore some natural cycles in that soil, (such as ) a mixed herbal lay

John is already doing this on some other land at Weston, and we gain from that experience; but there are quite considerable costs for going down this route for the OurField land (of 32 acres):

• the herbal lay seed is up to £100/acre, + application and preparation costs
• the field has to be more robustly fenced for regular grazing,
• there is the problem of the public right of way directly through it which adds very significantly to the fencing costs, (double line of fencing, stiles etc) and
• there needs to be a permanent water supply, if this is to be converted away from arable for a few year, and
• John's time and management resources; he may already be doing this on the amount of land that suits the number of cattle he is running, or that is best suited for grazing.

My feeling is that to abandon wheat now moves us into a wider debate, and then other topics come up - such as the agro-forestry, mixed cropping ideas raised before.

So perhaps for this year at least we should stick with the programme we are already on, and have a more far-reaching debate about strategy in eg March 2019 and try to set out some 5 year goals and a fully costed rotation plan?

THE LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT of the members over what do do next is encouraging. I have long wanted there to be a strategy that considered three or four year rotations and land management options.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE 2016-2017 SEASON
We are still living with the awful outcome of the first year of the OurField at Weston. We assumed that sowing a spelt crop was an imaginative and useful experiment. The risks associated with obtaining seed and selling the crop were unknown.

I am deeply aware that I am not able to evaluate the risks of farming. I should not be asked to vote on what to sow in the next season.

I believe we should first try to understand UK farming - its commercial and environmental volatility as well as the regulatory challenges and the big uncertainties such as Brexit. Farming is a very high risk occupation where dozens of compromises and precautions have to be juggled. There is little room - in my opinion -for insistence on a single issue.

WHAT FARMERS DO
Farmers provide both production services and stewardship services. The prices they receive for the commodities they produce do not even cover the costs of their production services. The costs of stewarding the soil, water, biodiversity and the atmosphere are beginning to be recognised but they are not formally accounted for. They are not captured in the farm gate prices.

Farmers also provide food nutrition services which are largely captured in the high prices of the organic farming supply chain. But they are not captured in conventional chemical farming or in conservation agriculture. Nor are the negative consequences of chemical farming and deep cultivation.

Ourfield is a field on a farm which was converted a few years ago to the conservation agriculture [CA] system. CA involves no till, cover crops and soil enhancing rotations. The soil health of OurField is improving.

AN OURFIELD STRATEGY - IN A VERY UNCERTAIN WORLD
I agree we should to try to identify a broad agenda for OurField on the Weston Farm. It should lead to the stewardship of soil, water, biodiversity and the atmosphere and the production of healthy food. Outcomes should be environmentally sustainable and it would be good if they will be commercially sustainable.

But we have to recognise that implementing any strategy will have to be an adaptive process. Every year is different if not exceptional. 2018 started wet. The spring grain crops in 2018 on other Weston fields had to survive on soil moisture. Further rain only occurred after the harvest. Meanwhile the BREXIT process brings massive uncertainties.

The installation of water points, fencing and electric fencing has transformed the agronomic, management and commercial options on OurField.

The cattle are just eating off the last corner of the bottom half of the field and I'll be moving them off tomorrow. We had a nice soak yesterday and the soil feels in good fettle. We have just had a year off with very little production, I think it is time to cash in a bit and sow a field of wheat (and run the risk of Mrs May tearing through it next year). Andy Forbes says there's 1.5 tonnes of his seed with our name on it, John Pawsey sounded doubtful that there was...I'll check it out tomorrow. Andy thought it would be worth trying an unsprayed area, where the thistles and other weeds are fewer, and see if the heritage plants swampthe weeds. He feels it will. I'm game to give it a go, that way we get an income and push the boundaries. Any seed harvested will have a value as seed if not milling wheat (as long as we can clean it).

I'm happy to have a conversation about a five year plan, but lets get on now a grow some wheat

The only people who can judge whether all the variables - seed availability, state of the stubble and soil, the weather, availability of equipment and labour, and information on marketing - are aligned, are on the farm at Weston.
I am not voting. I am just agreeing with what John proposes.

Thanks John for promising a future discussion on a strategy and rotations.
Very many thanks Stephen for communicating your very useful thoughts and experience.
Best Tony (Allan)

the course of action adopted

We are getting as much seed as Andy Forbes can send of the Heritage population called "Millers Choice". We will know the final available quantity in the next day or so..
The price has been quoted at £600 /tonne. On top, there is a freight cost.
if the available quantity is as much as 1.5 tonnes, then John Cherry will drill the entire "OurField" area (about 32 acres) with this heritage population ("Millers Choice").

Subsequently the greater part of the field will receive a small dose of glyphosate to kill off the weeds and especially the thistles. As well, John will look and select a small area that is relatively weed free (perhaps as much as a half acre) and this small area will be drilled the same way, but left with no glyphosate spray as an experiment to see what happens.

The cattle are off the land now, and John was able to spread a large section of the field with some manure.

Once the seed is in the ground and the spraying carried out, I will obtain details of fencing cost, putting in water for cattle, dung spreading cost, drilling cost, spray cost, less any credit for grazing value (presumed very small..) which will be reported in the bi-monthly accounts for the period September / October. We are in a good cash position and there are sufficient funds to meet all current expenses.

Kate from Craggs (who are buying the spelt) has also expressed interest in the Miller's Choice wheat too.

I think that the way the collective was set up makes it hard to have a common long term strategy, or even common principles beyond some very broad ones.

Firstly, I think that people joined for very different motivations, and had differing ideas of what they would get out of investing. This is part of the appeal of the collective, and is reflected in the diversity of members, but it does mean we should not assume we all share the same motivations or opinions. We joined in the knowledge that what happens to the field would be determined collectively as we went along.

Secondly, there are factors limiting the creation of a shared, long term strategy. The agronomic and practical characteristics of the farm and its existing system limit the options we have (e.g. the precise questions we vote on), though allowing significant room for experimentation. Beyond that every time we vote further options are opened up or curtailed. For example if you are on the losing side in a vote you may then be locked into a series of votes for options that are not your original preference.

I joined to discuss what happens in the field as part of collective (and to learn about grain production on the way). Asking 60 ‘farmers’ to collectively determine what happens in a single field is likely to be messy and complex - but then both farming and collective decision making inherently share these traits! I’m not sure agreeing to a long term shared strategy would be any easier, and may alienate people in the process.

Here's hoping we can learn from this year's wheat crop and use this to inform how we continue the journey in the future.

Yep, it's definitely a tricky one. The longer we spend doing this, the more we'll learn, so our assumptions and priorities that we had at the start might change as we learn about the practical realities of farming.

Thank you Harry for your comments. I agree with your scepticism on whether we can have a hard plan and strategy. One was aware of this when joining those who have been calling for some agreement on what we expect to do beyond the next six months.
However, I think we should have a discussion about the longer term as it would reveal members' assumptions. It would especially reveal those who have particular standards and single issue interventions in mind.
The main benefit, I think, would be having some very constructive engagement with John. He is the best position - having a highly informed understanding of the options available - to move the management of OurField in "sustainable" directions. Above all he has the capacity to implement investments such as the recent installation of water points and fences in OurField. He is also the only person who knows whether he will be able to prioritise inputs on OurField over other Weston Farm management imperatives.

Best Tony

Hi everyone, I’ve been a bit absent from our field discussion lately but I’ve had some time to catch up somewhat on the most recent discussion. I have a few reflections, which I thought I should share.

In the first year I voted against an input of nitrogen, with a long term view in mind of building soil health. Our yield suffered but I was ok with it - experimentation was more important than making money.

Having been through the discussion about what to do with the spelt harvest, this year’s cover crop and now where we are going in our second year I’m realising that although the long term view of building soil health on the field is very important, the short term view of growing a viable crop to sell is too - particularly from a real farmers point of view.

Although turning the field over to a fertility building ley for three years would be wonderful for the soil, there would be no money coming in from the field, just costs of maintaining it. If we view this one field as our farm, and carry these costs, I personally cannot afford to reinvest more of my own money without making anything from the field to reinvest, if you see what I mean.

I see this as the case for the farmer... can they afford to not have a crop on a field for three years? Perhaps if they offset against other costs and sales on a farm, for example if they use as grazing for livestock which will be sold for meat.. but we couldn’t pay the costs of managing that too.

So where I’ve got to in my head is that: we need to grow this winter wheat crop so we can have a good crop to sell next year, to keep the project going so we can have a long term strategy in the future. If that means a small glyphosate input in a conservation ag system I’m ok with that.

This is what this project is all about - making hard decisions, even ones you might not fully agree with, to move forward and learn about what real farming is like. It’s bloody hard!!

Couldn't have put it better myself Annie. You can't be green if you're in the red.

Update on the 2019 crop

Since the farm visit we have been trying to get all the grain in place to drill OurField. Here’s a quick update on what we are planning to do on the field for the 2019 crop - John will be able to tell us more and if anything needs to change at the E5 meeting on 26 Oct:

• Most of the field will be drilled with Wakelyn’s, a population blend
• John will select a small area which will be drilled with Millers’ Choice, a blend of heritage wheat seeds
  
• John, possibly with Richard Harding the agronomist, will walk the field again after drilling to see what is happening to the thistles and weeds now that the cattle have left
• From this they will decide what they think is the minimum, yet necessary, amount of glyphosate needed to terminate the cover crop leaving a small strip without spraying where the weeds are fewest, and in the area where the heritage blend is sown

Please note that with the areas that are ‘spray free’ this will allow us to demonstrate what happens to a crop where the weeds are not terminated. It is important to note that we will not be able to separate the crop (if we get one) from this 'spray free' area when harvesting and processing the rest of the field. We must accept that this is just the very first step in looking at options for not using Glyphosate in a Conservation Agriculture farm.

Sorry to be slow letting yoyuknow what's happening/happened on the field, but here goes:
as described above pretty much. The top half of the field has been drilled with Wakelyn's population wheat, the middle section with Miller's Choice and, I'm sorry a wild card, there's a few acres of Crusoe Milling wheat at the bottom. Due to an admin error this end (ie me) we used too much Wakelyn seed in the field we were drilling before and didn't have enough to do all ourfield. Crusoe is a popular marketable wheat, so there are yet more decisions on how to treat it...
Some of the MC ground has not had glyphosate, the rest of the field has. The weeds are dying, the clover looks like it's ok, the wheat is breaking the surface and evrything is rosey. We were lucky the weather stayed dry and mild on the whole, as we were late planting and a cold wet snap can result in rotten seed and no crop...we're past that danger.
More to follow, as and when
John

Thanks for letting us know John.

Dear John
Thank you for the up-date. We appreciate the additional planning and many otherr inputs that were needed to get the field drilled. TonyA

Thanks for the update John and great to hear we have seeds sown and taken benefit from the weather.